Epic Movie Moments
by RedTailedHawkens
Summary: Spoilers Through 4x20 Burn. What if Emily had made it to the plane in time?


Author's Note: Okay, so, wow. Spoilers for BURN. For those of us who still ship Jemily, who else wanted Emily to make it to the tarmac (is that the word?) before the plane took off? It was so good to hear Emily finally admit why she was pushing Jack away. I think many of us suspected that that was the reason. I'm not angry at the writers. As a writer, I can respect what they are doing, and I think they are doing it well. It's just as a person who has grown to love these characters; I want them to be happy.

I know it is unlikely. This is not the sort of story where people get happily ever afters. Still, I cannot help but want for Emily and Jack to be together, and to be a family with Carl and Stevie, and David, and Charlotte, and Nolan (and Louise who will realize what a horrible person Victoria is and reconcile with Nolan).

It would be nice if Ben could be happy, but it's not exactly my priority so long as he lets Emily be. Maybe he can get back with his ex. She was nice, plus, she's Ellie from _Chuck_, which gains her points.

At this point, I really do not care what happens to Victoria and Margaux. They can end up happy or miserable. So long as they leave everybody else alone to live out their lives, it does not make one iota of difference to me. A small part of me still wants Victoria with David, because I believe they really did, and in part still do, love each other. However, it was always a choice, your lover or your daughter. They could never co-exist.

Of course, that is assuming that Victoria faked her death, which is a possibility, but one presented as unlikely in an interview with Madeline Stowe. Bravo to her by the way, she played Victoria epically tonight.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. My point is, it does not look like we're going to get a happy ever after for Emily and Jack, but even if we do, it would have been nice if that scene had gone a bit differently. So, here's my version where Emily makes it on time. And don't worry, I have not abandoned my other revenge stories. I just had to write this. Can you blame me?

The title comes from how people are always trying to catch a person before a plane takes off in movies. I think it started with_ Casablanca_.

* * *

Epic Movie Moments

Years of training in Japan, years in Juvie, years taking down the Graysons, and Emily wasn't sure she had ever run that fast in her life. She had barely stopped the car. Jack wouldn't take her call. He didn't know she was coming. She couldn't let him board that plane.

It wasn't fair. She knew it wasn't. He had laid it out there so many times for her, and she continued to push him away. And now, he was getting away. It was all she had wanted for him for the past for years; to get away from the Hamptons. She had encouraged him to sail to Haiti. She had wanted him to go off with Amanda. She had wanted him to be happy, away from Graysons, and revenge. Away from her. Because she was like a lightning rod. She brought destruction and pain with her everywhere she went. Everybody she loved, everybody she held close had been taken and it was her fault. She said it was because of the Graysons, and she knew it was. But Amanda could be off living a life right now. Sure, she would probably be in some strip-club, probably lonely, probably dating some loser, but she would be alive.

And Aiden. He had sacrificed everything for her. She had hurt him and rejected him but him kept coming back. He had saved her life more times than she could ever repay, and he was dead because of it. She had put him in the crosshairs of her war.

And Jack, Jack had lost his wife, his brother, his relationship with Charlotte, and his relationship with Margaux. He had nearly lost his son! That was on her. For all her bravado, the front she put up, she knew it was one her. Jack should be living happily in Haiti right now. He should have love. He should have moved on long ago. She could have pushed him harder, but maybe she didn't want to. As much as she knew he deserved so much better, she couldn't seem to let go. Now, it seemed like he finally could, and she knew she should let him, but she couldn't. Not yet. He needed to know where she stood. He needed to know why she kept pushing him away. At the very least, he deserved more than the last conversation they had.

Out of breath, she ran to the tarmac, looking around desperately, tears in her eyes. Then she saw it. His plane was taking off. She was too late. Defeated, she let the tears fall. After all, there was nobody here to see her, no front to keep going. What did she have to lose?

"Emily?" She was imagining things. He was gone. She was hearing his voice because she wanted to her his voice, just like all those lonely nights in the foster homes when she would pretend he was there. "What are you doing here?" Taking a deep breath, she turned. There he stood, watching her, his face unreadable. His expression softened, "Are you okay?" He asked. She realized she was still crying. Her instinct was to hide, to wipe the tears away. It was an instinct she fought with everything she had. This was not the time for hiding and pretending.

"Where's Carl?" she asked, finding her voice.

"Uh, the second we got on the plane he got sick. We took him to get checked out."

"Is he all right?"

Jack nodded, "The doctor said it's probably just because he's never flown before. New experience can be scary for kids."

Emily smiled through her tears. "Where is he now?"

"Mom took him to get something for his stomach. I was supposed to go on ahead and get more tickets."

Emily nodded, "For L.A.?" It was a dumb question, she knew, but she had to bring the subject up somehow.

Jack looked down, a twinge of guilt in his eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just … " He shook his head, looking up, "It's never been easy with us, has it?"

Emily nodded, "I've never made it easy."

"I'm not blaming you-"

"You should. There are so many things you should blame me for. Amanda. Declan. How you were ever able to forgive me, I still don't-"

"The Graysons were responsible-"

"But so was I. And you know it. It's why you were so mad for so long."

Jack shook his head, "I was mad because you lied to me, and because I needed somebody to blame for all I'd been through."

"Well you picked the perfect person." She looked down, "Why did you forgive me?" She whispered.

Jack looked at her, incredulous, "Do you even have to ask me that?"

She shook her head, "It's just … when I lost Aiden, I was _so_ angry."

"You loved him." Jack said, almost sadly.

"I did. But I also used him, and it got him killed. I use everybody. Daniel called me on it, but I didn't want to believe him. I used Amanda. I used Charlotte. She's my _SISTER_, and I kidnapped her. I traumatized her to the point where she nearly killed herself.

That's who I am, Jack. I'm not the girl you met on the beach. I'm the girl who gets people killed. I'm the girl who hurts and betrays." Finally, she looked up at him, tears streaming down her face, "You are, you have always been the purest person I have ever known. You want to do good. You care about what's right. You want to help people. You're the hero of the story and I'm one of the villains-"

"Emily-" He reached out to comfort her, but she stepped back, shaking her head.

"Please let me get this out." Jack nodded, "You deserve so much better than me Jack. I have seen the worst of humanity, and you are everything that it good. Being with me would taint you. You would be lowering yourself down, thinking you could bring me up there with you. Thinking you could save me, but I can't be saved. I sold my soul to the devil so long ago that I wouldn't even recognize it now.

You were the absolute last person I wanted to hurt, and even when I tried to keep you at arms length, even when I was doing everything I could think of to protect you, you still got hurt. That was on me.

Girls like me don't get the guy. They come home to find him dead like I did with Aiden. I don't want that to be you too. I don't want to come home to find you dead. I don't want to turn you into something that your not. And I couldn't bear to look into your eyes some day and see nothing but hatred."

Jack walked towards her. She didn't back away from him, "Emily, why are you here?" he asked, in a somewhat husky whisper.

She shook her head, still crying, not looking down, but not quite meeting his eyes either. "Emily-?"

"I came because I heard you were leaving and … and even though you deserve to fly off into the sunset, even though you deserve so much better than me I …" she stopped, trying to steady her breath, "I came because I didn't want you too …. Because I couldn't … because I love you."

He stared at her, shocked. Suddenly, despite all the tears, Emily heard herself laugh. She knew she must look like a maniac, but it just felt so good to finally say it outside,

"I love you Jack Porter. I have loved you my entire life. From the very first second we met I loved you, and I have never stopped. I meant what I said, you deserve so much better than me, but I still love you. No matter where you live: L.A., Hamptons, Haiti, I will love you. No matter what job you have: bartending, volunteering, police work, I will love you. I didn't see you for over a decade, you married my best friend, you hated me for lying to you, but never did I stop. I can't stop. I don't want to stop."

It felt oh so good to get it all off her chest. Once she had, she took a big gulp of hair, and ended her monologue. And Jack stood there staring at her. She didn't know what that meant. He had said he wouldn't wait for her. Was she too late? Had he finally heard her when she told him that he was too good for her? Was he going to walk away?

Slowly, gently, he put his hand on her cheek. She remembered it being there before, after she had fought Gordon Murphy. That was the day she was going to tell him everything. That was the day Amanda came back. She shivered, as much at his touch as at the memory. He pushed her hair back behind her ear and she just wanted to melt into his touch.

"What about Ben?" He asked.

"I was hiding with Ben. I was … I was scared."

He chuckled, a deep, throaty chuckle, "The Mighty Emily Thorne, scared?"

She found herself chuckling too, though hers was mostly nervous, "I'm not Emily Thorne anymore."

He shook his head, "You're not. And you are."

She closed her eyes and nodded, knowing what he meant. She felt his hand get caught up in her hair, felt him gently guide her head up to meet his. She felt his lips, and her body caught fire. She felt herself breath a sigh of relief, and then she was sighing for a completely different reason. Her hands went up to his neck, pulling him closer, drinking him in. Emily had only kissed Jack Porter a couple times before. Once, when he thought she was Emily Thorne, and one after he found out she was Amanda Clarke. The first kiss had been desperate, full of grief. The second had been heated, full of anger. This was something knew all together. It was desperate, and it was heated, but it was so much more than that. This was Amanda Clarke kissing the boy she had always loved with everything she had. This was Jack Porter finally getting the girl he had been waiting his whole life for.

"Daddy?" The couple pulled away to see Stevie and Carl staring at them.

Emily laughed, and Jack soon joined in.

"I take it you won't be coming with me to L.A. anymore?" Stevie asked. She sounded disappointed. Surely she was. Still, there was a small smile playing at her lips.

"I …" Jack trailed off, looking at Emily.

"Actually, the Hamptons are kind of toxic. It seems to me we could all use a fresh start."

Stevie looked skeptical, "Are you sure your father will be okay with that?"

"What do you mean?"

Stevie shook her head, "You need to talk to him."

Emily nodded. "All right. Well, I guess nothing needs to be decided tonight."

"Absolutely." Stevie said, a smirk forming on her lips, "Something tells me Jacks never got new tickets. We can always take a flight tomorrow."

Jack nodded, smiling at his mother. Emily gave Stevie a hug and kissed Carl's forehead, "I guess I should head home."

She said, turning. Jack ran after her, "I'll walk you to your car."

Emily nodded. They walked in silence. It was a short walk though.

"Thank you." Emily said.

"Listen, were you serious before? About L.A.?"

"I said I will love you no matter where you live, remember. And while long-distance relationships work for some people, I seems to me, after everything we've been through-"

"So you were just going to hop a plane with me like in some cheesy movie?" His chuckle was teasing, but his eyes were shining. Emily could tell he was touched.

"Well, I did just chase you down to tell you I love you before you got on a plane. I came to find the plane had left only to find you weren't on it." she opened the door and got in the car, "I made a big epic speech declaring my love. And then, that kiss … seems to me we're building up movie moments."

"Hey, I declared my love first. Twice, in fact. Seems I have the lead in the epic movie moments category."

"How did we get from cheesy to epic?"

Jack shrugged, "Maybe because it's you and me."

Emily laughed, "Okay, you've gotta admit, that was kind of cheesy."

"I don't have to admit anything." He said, smiling at her. Then, he leaned down and kissed her again. It wasn't quite the same, him standing, her sitting in the car. Still, it left her breathless. When he pulled away, he offered her another smile, "Now _that_ was pretty epic."

Emily smiled and closed the door, "I'll call you tomorrow after I talk to my dad." She said, rolling up the window. He nodded, watching her drive off.

For the first time, it looked like everything was going well. While she would never admit it to Jack, she agreed that they were epic, and that kiss, every kiss they'd shared, every kiss they would share, would all be epic movie moments.

* * *

Author's Note: So, I know it starts all angsty and then gets lighter. I know it would never be this light on the show. I tried to stay true to the characters, but I apologize if they seem to light, happy, and out of character. I hope you enjoyed this. Please let me know what you though.

Have a nice day.


End file.
